March 3, 2000

Internet Should Be Refined to Aid Health Research, Report Says

By VINCENT KIERNAN

The federal government should take stronger steps to ensure that future technical refinements to the Internet include features that would allow medical researchers and physicians to rely on the network, concluded a report released last week by the National Research Council.

The refinements include mechanisms to protect the anonymity of Internet users, to keep patient information secure, to validate the identities of users participating in confidential online transactions, and to track